[1] The dialect of Caithness is generally spoken in the lowlying land to the east of a line drawn from Clyth Ness to some 4 miles west of Thurso.
The phonology of the Caithness varieties generally follows the pattern of the Mid Northern Scots varieties but: The grammar generally follows that of other Scots dialects, but: The past tense and past participles -it an t are realised /ɪd/ and /d/ in, for example, hurtit, skelpit (smacked), mendit, traivelt (travelled), raxt (reached), telt (told) and kent (knew/known).
Contact with Mid Northern Scots via fishermen from the Moray Firth and modern education has influenced the Black Isle varieties to some extent.
Avoch was originally Gaelic speaking but was settled by Scots-speakers, especially fisher folk, in the 17th century.
[6] The traditional Black Isle dialect of Cromarty became extinct in October 2012, upon the death of the last native speaker, Bobby Hogg.